File or bill-book



(No Model.)

W. D. SLATON. FILE 0R BILL BOOK.

No. 522,860. Patented July 10,1894.

UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DAVID SLATON, OF HENRIETTA, TEXAS.

FILE OR BILL-BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,860, dated July 10,1894.

Application filed March 20,1894. Serial No. 504,475. (No model.) i

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I,WILLIAM; DAVID SLATON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ilenrletta, in the county of Clay and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Files or Bill-Books, of whichthe following is a specification.

My inventionrelates toa paper file in which the opposite sides of abottom board are connected by meansof transfer Wires on which there maybe placed an index cover or top board movable along said transfer wiresfrom one side of the bottom board to the other; the said transfer wiresbeing extended around or beyond one end of the board or boards from oneside to the other so as to form a continuous track for the transferringof papers from one side of the bottom board to the index board,or to theother side of the bottom board, thereby making it possible to easilyfill out both sides of a blank form Without removing it from the Wires.

It is one of the purposes of my invention to so arrange an index boardor cover that it can be moved along the transfer wires from one side ofthe'bottom boards to the other, the same as papers and with or withoutpapers attached to it, and so that when brought around on top of thebottom board and interposed papers it will form therewith a book inwhich the papers or blanks will be retained for ready reference or forsuch use as may be required.

It is alsothe purpose of myinvention to provlde certain improvements inconstruction and organization pertaining to this class of files, bycombining with the transfer wires a punch having a simple and readyoperation, and by which the several papers to be placed in, or upon, thefile may be perforated at points corresponding to the location of thewires, the openings formed being of the same dimensions as the wires bywhich the papers are retained, and the punch being so arranged andconstructed that it may cooperate with the retaining wires,whichconstitute the male portions of the perforating devices, whereby thepaper, or papers, perforated thereby are forced upon the retaining-wiresat the instant the perforations in the paper are formed.

It is my purpose, also, to simplify and improve this type ofpaper-files, to decrease the cost of production and increase their fieldof usefulness as well as the ease and rapidity with which they may beused.

My invention consists, to these ends, in the several novel parts andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and then particularlypointed out and defined in the claims which follow this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,- Figure 1 is a perspective of myimproved paper-file with the upper board or cover thrown back. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section of the paper-file with the upper board or coverremoved. Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the the bottom board Withoutthe transfer wires and their attaching plates. Fig. 4 is a detached viewof the transfer wires and punch with plate on which they are mounted.Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the hinged die plate for thepunch.

The reference-numeral l, in said drawings, indicates the base, or bottom-'board of the file, which is made of any suitable material, such aswood, metal, cellulose, or any composition of matter which, in point ofcost, weight, and durability, is fit for the purpose. Upon one end ofthis board is rigidly mounted a plate 2, of cast iron,orothersuitablemetal, and through this plate pass wires 3, parallel with each other andat right angles with the surface of the plate, to which said wires aresoldered, or otherwise rigidly fastened. They extend several inchesabove the plate 2 and their upper ends are cut squarely off and providedwith chambers 4, for a purpose presently to be described.

The wires 3, after passing through the plate 2 and. board 1, extend uponthe opposite side of the latter a distance about equal to that by whichthey rise above it, and are then curved, or bent, in parallelism, andthroughout a half circle, or substantially so, and are then carriedupward at substantially right-angles to the board and at a littledistance from its end, and then curved, or bent, through a half circleuntil their ends can be brought to overhang the chambered ends of theupright retaining-wires 3. The ends of the downwardly curved portions 5are pro vided with nipples 6, which are adapted to engage the chambers 4in the upper ends of the retaining wires 3.

At, or, near, the edge of the plate 2 are crectedposts 7; upon which isjournaled, or pivoted, a plate 8,provided with laterally extending arms9 in which are formed circular apertures 10, so located that when theplate is swung upward and then over upon the retaining-wires 3, thechambered ends of said wires will enter the apertures 10, and if apaperlies'between the wires and the arms 9, it will be punched, or perforatedat the points where the retaining Wires enter, and the paper will bepushed down upon said wires and fully engaged therewith.

The reference-numeral 12 indicates an upper, or index board, or cover,somewhat shorter than the bottom board 1, but otherwise correspondingtherewith in form and size. At, or near, one end of said upper boardperforations or apertures 13 are provided, so located that the retainingwires 3 may enter them, said openings being preferably provided witheyelets 14. Elastic bands 15 are also stretched transversely across theface of the-board 12 which lies adjacent to the base, said bands beingdetachably connected to studs 17, set in the edges of the board. Similarstraps 16 are stretched in like mannerover the face of the bottom board1, and are secured in the same way, by studs 17. Upon the ends of thestraps, or bands, 15 and 16, are attached tabs 18 of leather, or othersuitable material, having slits, or button-hole openings 19, by whichthey may be readily attached to and detached from the studs, the latterbeing preferablyin the form of headed tacks, or nails. I

This improved paper-file is readily adapted to a great variety of usefulpurposes. By throwing back the upper board 12, as shown in Fig. 1, andlifting the nippled portions 6 of the wires 3 from the chambers orrecesses 4 in the other ends of said wires the vertical portions of thewires attached to the plate or mounting 2 will be exposed in position toperforate and retain any papers or blanks that it may be desired toplacein the file. In inserting such papers or blanks they will be held inposition with one end over and in contact with the ends of the verticalportions of the wires and beneath the perforated arms 9 of the hingeddie plateS which has been previously swung upward and forward. By nowpressing down on the said arms 9 of the hinged die plate 8 sothat theperforations 10 will engage the ends of the wires the paper or paperswill be perforated or punched by the wires and will be forced downthereon and retained in the file. In this manner invoices, bills,receipts, letters or other papers that are to be preserved for readyreference can be quickly and neatly filed so as to be easy of access.

If desired the file may be conveniently filled with blank forms, such asassessors or collectors blanks, reports of railway freight conductors,blanks for use of express agents, bills of lading, &c., that are to bewritten up from time to time and detached or allowed to remain for awhile longer in the file, as may be required.

After papers or blank forms have been placed in the file by aid of thehinged die plate 8 the said plate may be turned backward and downwardwhere it will rest flush with the end of the bottom board 1 in suchposition that it will not interfere in any manner with the passing ofpapers along the wires from one side of the board 1 to the other, theupper board 12 having been prev ously slipped off from the wires andtheir ends connected by means of the recesses 4 and nipples 6 so as toafford a continuous track for shifting the papers without detaching themfrom the file. It will thus be seen that when the upper board 12 isdetached from the file, blank forms retained on the wires 3 can bewritten upon on either or both sides by shifting them from one side ofthe board 1 to the other. while a number of blanks or papers are restingon one side of theboard 1 the exposed face of the uppermost blank orpaper can be written on or filled up and the said blank or paper canthen be shifted along the retaining wires 3 to the opposite side of theboard, thus exposing the under side of the paper so .that it can bereadily indorsed or written upon without detaching it from the file. Ina similar manner when the board 12 is in position for use papers can bewritten upon on one side while resting on one of the boards and can thenbe shifted over onto the other board to expose the under side of thepaper or blank in convenient position to receive any indorsements orwriting that it may require.

The elastic straps or bands 15 and 16, on the boards 1 and 12 serve asmeans for hold ing down any or all of the blanks. When only one board isprovided it may have such elastic straps on both sides.

I would have it understood that thewires,

3 need not be extended through the base or bottom board 1 but may besimply soldered or otherwise secured to the plate or mounting 2 on saidboard; and the said plate 2 may be doubled and extended over the edge ofthe board onto both sides thereof, as shown, orit may be made as twoplates secured to opposite sides of the board and arranged, preferablyat a slight distance from its edge.

The dimensions of the file may obviously be varied according to thepurposes to which it is to be applied and it maybe provided with threeor more wires when of large size.

The file, with attached blanks or paper sheets, may be used as a billbook or ledger, as a holder and writing pad when supplied That is tosay,-

IIO

with proper blank sheets or forms, and is adapted to a great variety ofuses that will readily suggest themselves to those in need of suchappliances.

The wires 3 are preferably made of spring metal so that when the nipples6 are disengaged from the chambers or recesses 4 the upper curvedportions 5 of said wires will spring back, as shown in Fig. 1, andremain wholly out of the way while papers are being placed onto orremoved from the vertical portions of said wires. By extending theretaining or transfer wires 3 beyond the end of the bottom board 1 andfrom one side thereof to the other, as shown, a continuous curved trackis afiorded on connecting the ends of said wires so that filed papers,blank forms, (he, can be readily transferred along the same from oneside of the board to theother. If atop board or index cover is used itcan be likewise readily moved along the transfer wires from one side ofthe bottom board to the other either alone or with papers attachedthereto by means of the elastic bands, or otherwise. This arrangement oftransfer wires connecting the opposite sides of a board affords greatfacility in writing on both sides of a paper or blank without removingit from the file.

I prefer to mount the wires 3 on a doubled metal plate 2 so formed thatit may extend around one end of the board 1 and embrace both sidesthereof, as shown. In the end of the board 1 is a recess 20, Fig. 3,that will permit the plate 2 to set back sufficiently far from the edgeof the board to enable the hinged die plate 8 to rest flush with the endof the board Where it will not obstruct the transfer of papers along thewires. A Extended inward from the recess 20 or other recesses 21 thatpermit passage of the wires 3 in attaching or detaching the plate 2which may be secured to the board 1 by means of screws, or otherwise.

What I claim is- 1. A paper-file consisting of a base, or bottom board,having a metallic plate upon one end, retaining wires passing throughsaid plate and board, and curved beneath and outside of the end thereof,the detached ends being adapted to engage the ends of theretaining-wires, and a plate mounted on posts near said wires and havingarms provided with punching apertures adapted to engage the ends of theretaining-wires, substantially as described.

2. In a paper-file, the combination with a base having a metallic plateat'or near one end, of retaining-wires passing through said plate andboard and rigidly connected to the former, said wires being curved pastthe end of the base and brought over the-ends of the in g aperturesadapted to receive the ends of the retaining-wires, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a paperfile, the combination with a base having a suitablemetallic plate mounted thereon at, ornear, one end, of retaining-wirespassing through said plate and board and rising above the former, theends of said wires being curved around past the end and over the top ofthe base, their extremities being provided with nipples adapted to enterchain bers in the ends of the retaining-wires, a punching plate pivotedon independent supports and having apertures which are adapted toreceive the ends of the retaining-wires, and a covering board,substantially as described.

4.111 a paper-file, the combination with a base having suitablemountings at or near one end, of retaining-wires rigidly connected tosaid mountings, said wires having ends which are curved past the end ofthe base and overhang the chambered ends of said retainingwires, apunching-plate pivoted on independent supports, and elastic strapscrossing the board and having their ends detachably connected thereto,substantially as described.

5. In a paperfil'e, the combination with a board or support, of wiresextended around and beyond one end of the board from one side to theother and adapted for the filing of papers or blanks, the said wiresforming a track along which papers may be transferred from one side ofthe board to the other to facilitate writing on both sides of a paperand for other purposes, substantially as described.

6. In a paper-file, the combination with a bottom-board of wiresextended around and beyond one end of said board from one side to theother and connected with the opposite sides of said board, and an indexboard or cover adapted to be moved along said wires from one 'side ofthe bottom board to the other, the said wires being adapted to form acontinuous track along which filed papers or blank forms may betransferred without removing them from the file and whereby writing onboth sides of a paper is facilitated while it remains in the file,substantially as described.

7. In a paper-file, the combination with a bottom-board, of retaining ortransfer wires mounted on one end of said boardand extended around orbeyond its end to form a track for transfer of filed papers from oneside of the board to the other, a portion of said wires being adapted toform a punch, and a hinged die mounted adjacent to the punching portionsof the wires, substantially as described.

8. In a paper-file, the combination with a plate or support, ofspring-wires mounted on said plate and extended. beyond its oppositesides, the ends of said wires being recessed or chambered on one side ofsaid plate and the other ends of said wires being provided with nipplesto engage the opposite chambered my hand in presence of two subscribingwitends of the wires and form a detachable connesses. nection therewith,whereby the wires are SLATO'W. adapted for the fillng of papers and themWILLIAM DAVID L 5 transfer from one side of the plate to the otherWitnesses: 7

without removal, substantially as described. ALVIN D. GOODENOUGH,

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set T. F. BERNER.

